For the second consecutive day, more than 200 people tested positive for coronavirus infection, bringing the total number of identified cases to 5,092. Additionally, 257 have died, an increase of 10 since Wednesday.
The increase in cases was slightly lower than Thursday’s increase of 219 cases, but higher than the increases of 130-150 seen over over the past month. Following White House guidelines, Governor Tony Evers earlier this week announced his Badger Bounce Back plan, which requires a lower count of new cases each day for 14 days.
The increase over the last two days is largely attributable to a growing outbreak in Brown County, which saw 88 new cases Wednesday and another 53 on Thursday. The Green Bay Press Gazette reports that 265 of the county’s 455 cases are tied to meat packing facilities in Green Bay.
Statewide, 1,954 people were tested over the past 24 hours, an increase of about 300 over Wednesday.
An increasing number of Latinos are testing positive. While 11 percent of the state population is Latino, as of Thursday, Latinos make up 19 percent of those who test positive.
In the state, 249 people remain hospitalized, six fewer than Wednesday.
